Organ Transplant: Business or Giving Life Second Chance - Essay Example

Organ Transplant: business or giving life a second chance Organ transplantation was a mile stone in themedical sciences history, with the first Kidney transplant performed in 1900’s which laid the foundation and hope for many others to get another chance to live. Transplant program went so well in early stages of its discovery which is still a ticket for many to live a second life. According to a survey by UNO; in USA after every 10 minutes a new patient adds to the waiting list of national transplant providing a hope to the patient, which is a great credibility to the operation. Someone who dies or is definite to receives organ and has another chance at life. One death might create options for the continued life of several people. Depending on the conditions of death, many organs could be harvested from the same body to be provided to many other patients (Munson & Ronald, 2002). UNOS reports also focus that average of 18 people die every day because of either non availability of donors because most of the people living healthy life are unaware of the donation process or they even do not think about making donation in their life time. It is estimated that 90% of the population in a society support donation, save for the 30% that know the necessary measures to take in order to be a donor; however there are no special formalities to make a donation these days. It’s now ethically and religiously accepted by most of the societies to have transplant operation, as it is appreciated by all to save a human life as the first priority. As the awareness is spreading around the world more people are getting involved in donating their organs in their life as previously most of the transplant organs were obtained from deceased bodies, which often lead to loss of the organ or transplant rejection. But nowadays this ratio has gone down significantly low as more people are making living donations. In 2011, there were over 9000 deceased organ donors and over 7000 living organ donors resulting in over 30000 transplants operations in USA. Organ transplantation serves as a surviving hope for many suffering from organ failure but regardless of the advances in the world of medicine, the need for patients available for transplantation greatly exceeds the number of organ donors. Almost all religions in the world support blood, organ and tissue donation and respect it as an act of generosity toward the society. Amongst all others, kidneys are the most frequently donated organs by living donors. Other organs include partial pancreas, intestine, liver and even the lobe of a lung. Most countries of the world have legislated organ transplant in their laws that it should be made by every healthy person, not causing harm to his own life and must be made free of cost. Individuals suitable for living donation are generally between 18 to 60 years of age; however race and gender are by no means a factor in determining a positive and successful match. A healthy living donor does not have any change in life expectancy, and subsequent to successful recovery from the surgery, most donors live normal lives. Following the successful donation of a kidney, the donor’s other kidney enlarges slightly to function on behalf of the other kidney. The liver has the ability of regeneration which enables it to recover full function. The pancreas and lungs do not have this ability but the donors usually have no issues with the reduced role if appropriate care is taken. Organ transplantation as it is one the greatest milestone in medical sciences has also gave rise to unethical and illegal practices of organ selling. According to World Health Organization some illegal organ trafficking does occur mostly in less developed and poor countries; the WHO has also estimates that as many as one fifth of kidney donations made might not be acquired free of cost. Many countries such India Pakistan Sri Lanka has taken strong legislative steps to control organ selling. Transplant rejections: Organ rejection or transplant rejection is a process in which a recipient of the organ is attacked by the immune system on the transplanted organ or tissue. Variety of drugs and immunosuppressant are used by doctors to control and prevent the immune system from attacking the organ, this often happens when the organ is not matched by the recipient’s immune system. If proper care and medications are not used the body’s immune system will easily give up and destroy the new organ (Petechuk & David, 2006). Some transplants have no rejection issues such as Cornea transplants which are rarely rejected because the cornea has no blood supply also transplants that are almost never rejected are from one identical twin to another. Including all the risk involved the transplant of organs has become a multi million illegal business in the underworld involving the use of innocent and poor people to donate their organs for a minimal price. Side effects of transplant: Certain cancers may develop, probably only in those patients who get powerful immune suppressing drugs and for a long period of time and do not consult doctors for any symptoms. Infections may arise in other organs which are weak because of use of medication or the persons immune system is suppressed more than required. Loss of function in the transplanted organ is the most risky effect not because of the value of the organ as well as the alternative of the organ required and the critical stage of the patient (Williams & Wilkins, 1996). Side effects of medications, which mostly include strong and heavy dose of antibiotics, may be severe and critical for the patient’s health as well as the other organs. Positive aspects of the transplant: Transplant of organs/tissues saves a life or at least gives a chance to the living to extend the time one has in this world, it is worth taking the risk instead of giving up and losing the race of life ( Dion & Skyla, 2012). Due to latest development in medical sciences and invention of new medicines organ rejection rate has come down below the danger level providing encouragement to the living donors to take part in the donations. Donating the whole body is most beneficial for the recipients as one body can provide more than 20 different types of organs mostly donated organs are eyes, kidneys, lungs, heart and skin. Most religions have adopted the concept of organ donation as acceptable in their practice to save the human kind. Works Cited Petechuk, David. Organ Transplantation. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2006. Print. Munson, Ronald. Raising the Dead: Organ Transplants, Ethics, and Society. Oxford [England: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. Dion, Skyla. Organ Transplantation. New Delhi: World Technologies, 2012. Internet resource. Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1996. Internet resource. Read More